Needle-thread take-up mechanism for sewing machines



April' 25, 1933,; w. PARKES NEEDLE THREAD TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR SEWINGMACHINES Filed Jan. 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a as I gnaw H01, WILL/AN NHIE/(5.

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A DMINISTRRTGR- duommq Patented Apr. 25, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTorrl'ce WILLIAK NELSON PARKE, DECEASED, LATE OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, BYJEREMIAH V. B. PAJBKES, ADMINISTRATOR, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR1'0 THE SINGER- MANUFAC'I'UBING COMPANY, 01 ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, AGOIB'POEA TION orrmw mammama-rattan 'raxE-Ur MECHANISM r03. snwmenaonmzs Application filed January 26, 1932. Serial 1E0. 588,884.

This invention relates to improvements in needle-thread take-upmechanisms for sewing machines, and has for an object to provideimproved actuating means for the needle-thread engaging take-up member,whereby said mechanism is better adapted for operation at high speeds.

Another object of this invention is toprovide improved means forreciprocating the needle-bar and the take-up member of a sewing machine.

The present invention has also for an object to provide improvedthread-guiding and controlling devices coacting with the take-up in moreefiiciently handling the needlethread.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, together withmeans whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best beunderstood from the following description of a referred embodimentthereof illustrated in t e accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front side elevation of the head end of thebracket-arm of a sewing machine having embodied therein the improvementsconstituting the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of the take-up and thread-controlling elements, togetherwith a portion of the faceplate as viewed from the right in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a front end view of the bracket-arm head, with its face-plateremoved. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the bracket-arm headsubstantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 comprises detailsectional views of the elements constituting a preferred embodiment ofthe crank-pin employed for actuating the needle-bar and needle-threadtake-up. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the crank-carrying tubular endof a rotary shaft journaled in the machine bracket-arm, and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a bearing bushing for said shaft.

The sewing machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings has a frameincluding a tu ular bracket-arm 1, terminating at its free end in a head2. Removably secured upon the end of the head 2 is a face-plate 3, andin the present case integral with said faceplate is a verticallydisposed flange 4 extending forwardly from the bracket-arm in adirection transverse to the length of said bracket-arm.

Suitably fixed within'the bracket-arm 1 is a bearing bushing 5 in whichis journaled the reduced portion 6 of a rotary actuating shaft 7,provided longitudinally of its reduced end with a wicking-contaming bore8 into the open end of which is threaded a boresealing screw 9. Formedin the upper side of the bushin 5 is a wicking-containing pocket 10provided in itsbottom with a plurality of apertures 11 connecting saidpocket" bricant passing throughthebushingapertures 11, said shaftapertures being preferably disposed spirally along the length of theshaft portion 6 to more efliciently distribute the lubricant to theshaft-bearing surface. The shaft apertures 15 also serve to conductlubricant into the wicking filled shaft-bore 8, from which it is free topass through an aperture 16 into an alined aperture 17 formed in acrank-member 18, secured by screws 19 upon the end of the shaft-portion.6. A washer 20 is interposed between the inner face of the crank-member18 and the bushing 5, of which the face adjacent to said crank-member ispreferably provided with a washer-receiving annular recess 21..

Fixed in said crank-member by set-screws 22 is a crank-pin deviceprojecting from said crank-member in a direction substantially parallelto the axis of the shaft 7. Said crank-pin device, as preferablyconstructed, comprises a bearing-sleeve 23 providing a cylindrical outerbearing-surface 24 and an inner bearing-surface 25, within which sleeveis secured a stud-pin 26 by means of a fasteningfpin 27. The stud-pin 26is reduced at its ree end to provide a c lindrical bearing-surface 28spaced from t e inner surface 25 of the bearin -sleeve and substantiallyparallel thereto. nstead of constructing the crank-pin device asdescribed, it is obvious that it might be otherwise formed to provideradially spaced inner and outer bearingsurfaces, as 24, 25 and 28, forinstance b providing a single crank-pin element wit a suitable annularrecess.

J ournaled u on the bearing-surface 24 of he crank-pin evice is anapertured boss 29 of a link 30 of which the bossed 'lowerend ispivotally entered by a stud-pin 31 of a collar 32 suitably secured upona needle-bar 33 carr ing at its lower end a needle 34. The nee le-bar 33is journaled for endwise reciprocation in verticall alined bushings 35and 36 suitably secure in the bracket-arm head 2, the upper end of saidneedle-bar carrying a pin 37 adapted to intermittently enter an aperture38 in the lower end of a shell 39 of which the headed upper end isthreaded upon the bushin 35. The shell 39 contains a lubricant-absor entwicking, and threaded into the head end of said shell is a chamberedcap-screw 40 having an aperture 41 through which lubricant may besupplied to the shell wicking. This construction provides forautomatically lubricating the bearing-surface of the bushing 35 uponreciprocation of the needle-bar, any excess lubricant within saidbushing bein sprayed by the reciprocating needle-bar t rough a bushingaperture 42 and u on the take-up actuating mechanism later escribed. Inorder to lubricate the bearing-surface of the lower needle-bar bushing36, the head end thereof is provided with an annular, wicking-filledrecess 43 from which lubricant may pass ghrough an aperture 44 to saidbearing-surace.

Disposed between the bearing-surfaces 25 and 28 of the crank-pin deviceis an apertured boss 45 at one end of a take-up member 46 provided atits opposite end with thread-engaging means in the form of a thread-eye47. While the boss 45 of said take-up member is in the present caserimarily journaled upon the bearing-sur ace 28 of the crank-pin device,it is also in sliding contact with the bearing-surface 25. It is obvioushowever that the boss 45 ma be j ournaled u on either of the bearing-suraces 25, or 28 in ependently of the other, if so desired. The crank-pinstud 26 has a longitudinal bore 48 intersected by apertures alined withthe aperture 17 of the crank-member 18, said bore 48 being closed at itsouter end by a screw 49 which also serves to hold the take-up member46against movement endwise of the crank-pin device. The stud-pin 26, thetake-up member boss 45 journaled thereupon, and also the bearing-sleeve23 are all provided with apertures suitable for conducting lubricantfrom the stud-pin bore 48 to the bearing-surfaces of said crank-pmdevice, the described arrangement of the inner and outerbearing-surfaces of said crankm device thus lending itself to the readyubrication of the bearing-surfaces, as well as providing journalingmeans of a substantial character for the needle-bar link and take-upmember to efiiciently withstand high speed '0 eration of the sewingmachine. The needlear link 30 is preferably also provided with alongitudinal bore 50 through which lubricant is conducted from thecrank-pin device described to the bearing surface of the stud-pin 31.

Projecting toward the crank-member 18 from the take-up member 46intermediate the ends of the latter is a fulcrum-stud 51 which, in thepresent instance, is integral with said member 46. Pivotally embracingthe fulcrum-stud 51 is one of the laterally bossed ends of a link 52held upon said fulcrum-stud by a screw 53. The other bossed end of thelink 52 pivotally embraces the reduced end of an anchoringin 54 suitablyfixed in a bracket 55 secured hy screws 56 in the bracket-arm head 2.The link 52 is held against movement endwise of the'anchoringpin 54 bymeans of a screw 57 threaded into the end of said pin.

Threaded into the up er side of the bracket 55 is a lubricant-wic ingcontaining tube 58 fitted into a vertical aperture in the'head 2, saidtube having an aperture 59 in its bottom for conducting lubricant fromsaid tube through an aperture 60 in the anchoring-pin 54 into a bore 61rovided in said pin longitudinally thereof? The anchoring-pin 54 isadditionally provided with a plurality of apertures for conductinlubricant to the bearing-surface of said pm and also through a bore 62longitudinally of the link 52 to the bearing-surface of the fulcrum-stud51. From the foregoing description it will be understood that the link52 constitutes a floating pivotal support for the take-up member 46, thethread-eye of said member having a path of movement defining a field 63which, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, isadjacent and substantially parallel to the bracket-arm flange 4.

The flange 4 of the bracket-arm is provided with a generally verticallyextending segmentaLslot 64, the curvature of which in the present casecorresponds substantially with the forward portion of the take-up field63. As represented in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the upper and lowerends of the flangeslot 64 terminate, at opposite faces of the flange, inbeveled surfaces 65 and 66, whereby the portion of the needle-thread Tbetween the take-up eye 47 and the needle is free to extend in astraight line to a threadguide 67 disposed directly below the slot 64and at the side of the flange 4 opposite to the take-up side thereof.

Anchored in the flange 4 at the upper end of thefslot 64 is the offsetupper end 68 of a needle-thread controllin element 69, which in thepresent instance ism the form of a bent wire dis osed between thetake-up field 63 and the an e 4, as well as contiguous to and within theaterally projected area of the slot 64.. The lower end of thethreadcontrolling element 69 is bent forwardly crosswise'of the slot 64and is anchored in the flan e 4 adjacent to said slot, whereby thethread passed over the controlling element 69 and throu h the slot 64 isconfined between the en 'of said element. The offset upper end 68 of theelement 69 provides a r shoulder first engaged by the thread T as thetake-up member 46 approaches the upper end of its stroke. It will beobserved from Fig. 2 of the drawings that the upward movement of thetake-up eye 47 beyond the shoulder 68 0 is relatively short, curvingrearwardly of the shoulder 68 very gradually during said upward movementto slowly complete drawing up of the needle-thread loop preparatory tosetting the stitch, which occurs in substantially the position of thetake-up member 46 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of t e drawmgs. Thetake-up eye 47 moves only a very short distance away from the shoulder68 from the upper end of the take-up path to stitchsetting position andthe consequent relatively slow stitch-setting movement is thereforefavorable to high speed operation of the machine.

A thread cast-off device is provided adjacent to the upper end of thethread-controlling element 69 to insure that the thread T is cast offthe controllingelement 69 at the take-up side thereof, when the take-upmember 46 moves downwardly from stitch-setting position. This cast-offdevice,in the present instance, comprises a thread-engagin lip 71 bentlaterally from its shank 72 whlc is secured by a screw 73 upon theflange 4, said lip 71 being so arranged as to initiate deflection of thethread in a direction away from the flange 4. v

Secured upon the bracket-arm head 2 at the side of the take-up fieldopposite to the thread-controlling element 69 is a threaddetaining.finger 74 over which the portion of the thread leading from a tensiondevice 75 to the take-up eye 47 is looped by the take-up member 46,saidfinger 74 serving to temporaril detain the thread during the downwarmovement of said member 46. The free end of'the finger 74 is inclineddownwardly and also laterally toward the take-up field, it beingunderstood that said finger imposes no material resistance to thewithdrawal of the thread therefrom by the action of the loop-takeremployed for cooperation withthe needle in t e formation of stitches.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimedherein is 1. In a sewing machine,-a-rotary shaft, a

reciprocatory needle-bar, a needle-bar reciprocating link, a threadtake-u member, and a tubular crank-pin carried y said rotary shaftprovided exteriorly and interiorly of the crank-pin with bearings forsaid link and take-up member.

2. In a sewing machine, a rotar shaft 0. reciprocatorg needle-bar, aneedlear reciprocating lin a thread take-up member, and a crank-pindevice carried by said rotary shaft providing pivotal bearings directlyupon the crank-pin for said link and take-up member, said bearings beingspaced apart radially from the longitudinal axis of said crank-pin.

3. In a sewing machine, a rotar shaft, a reciprocatory needle-bar, aneedle-, ar reciprocating link, a thread take-up member a crank-pincarried by said shaft provided with relatively rigid outer and innerbearings radially spaced apart for receiving said link and take-upmember, and controlling means determining the path of movement of saidtake-up member.

4. In a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a reciprocatory needle-bar, acrank-pin carried by said shaft having an outer bearing sur-- face andrecessed longitudinally to provide bearing surfaces radially spacedapart within said crank-pin, and a needle-bar reciproeating link and athread take-up member operatively journaled upon said crank-pin bearingsurf-aces.

5. In a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a reciprocatory needle-bar, acrank-pin fixedly carried by said shaft having an outer cylindricalbearing-surface and provided interiorly thereof with a bearing surface saced from the inner surface of the cylin rical crank-pin, and aneedle-bar reciprocating link and a thread take-up member operativelyjournaled upon said crank-pin bearing surfaces.

6. In a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a reciprocatory needle-bar, acrank-member carried b said shaft, a sleeve projecting from said cran-membcr a stud-pin dis osed within and providing a bearing sur acespaced from said sleeve, a needle-bar reciprocating link journaled uponsaid sleeve, and a take- I up member journaled upon said stud-pin.v

7. In a sewing machine, arotafi shaft, a

reciprocatory needle-bar, a cra carried bysaid shaft, a crank-pin devicerojecting from said crank-member provi in an outer, cylindrical bearingsurface an recessedlongitudinally from its free end to provide acylindrical inner bearin surface, a needle-bar reciprocating link1ournaled upon one of said bearing surfaces of the crank-pin device, atake-up member journaled upon the other bearing surface there- -member II of, and means confining said link .and takeup member against movementendwise of said crank-pin device.

shaft, a

reciprocatory needle-bar, a cran carried by said shaft, a crank-pindevice 1'0- jecting from said crank-member provi ing an outercylindrical bearing-surface and recessed longitudinally to rovide aninner bearin surface, said cran -pin device having a c amber within saidinner bearing surface and being provided with apertures connecting saidchamber with said bearing surfaces, a needle-bar reciprocating linkjournaled upon one of the bearing surfaces of said crank pin device, anda take-up member )OlllIliilGd upon the other of said bearing suraces.

9. In a sewing machine, a rotary shaft, a reciprocatory needle-bar, acran -member carried b said shaft, a crank-pin device projecting fiomsaid crank-member providing an outer cylindrical bearing-surface andrecessed longitudinally from its free end to provide an innercylindrical bearing-surface substantially concentric with said outerbearing surface, said crank-pin device having a chamber within saidinner bearing surface and being provided with apertures connecting saidchamber with said bearing surfaces, a needle-bar reciprocating linkpivotally journaled upon one of the bearing surfaces of said crank-pindevice, a take-up member journaled upon the other bearing surface ofsaid crank-pin device, and means at the free end of said crank-pindevice confining one of the elements journaled upon said bear ngsurfaces against movement endwise of said crank-pin device.

10. In a sewing machine havinga frame including a bracket-arm providedwith a vertically disposed take-up guard-flange having a needle-threadreceiving slot, a vertical ly reciprocatory needle, a take-up memberprovided with needle-thread engaging means from which the thread passesthrough said guard-flange slot to the needle, means for actuating saidtake-up member to impart to the thread-engaging means thereof a path ofmovement defining a field formed adjacent to'said guard-flange, and aneedle-thread controlling element disposed contiguous to and within thelaterally projected area of said guard-flange slot at the take-up memberside thereof, said element providing a shoulder in the path of thethread as the take- .up member approaches stitch-setting position.

11. In a sewin machine having a frame including a brac et-arm providedwith a vertically disposed take-up guard-flange having a needle-threadreceiving slot, a vertical: 1y reciprocatory needle, a take-up memberprovided with needle-thread engaging means from which the thread passesthrough said guard-flange slot to the needle, means for actuating saidtake-up member to impart to the thread-engaging means thereof a path ofmovement defining a field formed adjacent to said guard-flange, and aneedle-thread controlling element disposed contiguous to and within thelaterally projected area of said guard-flange slot at the take-up memberside thereof, said element havin spaced thread engaging shouldersconfinmg the thread therebetween and one of said shoulders beingdisposed to coact with said take-up member 'as the latter approachesstitch-setting position.

12. In a sewing machine, a vertically reciprocatory needle, a take-upmember provided with needle-thread engaging means, means for supportingand actuating said take-up member to impart to the threadengaging meansthereof a path of movement defining a field, and a needle-threadcontrolling element disposed adjacent to said field at the needle sidethereof providing vertically s aced thread-engaging shoulders confiningt e needle-thread therebetween, one of said shoulders being engaged bythe thread as said take-up member approaches stitch-setting position.

' 13. In a sewing machine, a vertically re ciprocatory needle, a take-upmember provided with needle-thread engaging means, means for supportingand actuating said take-up member to impart to the threadengaging meansthereof a path of movement defining a field, a needle-thread controllingelement providing a shoulder coacting with said take-up member in thesetting of stitches, and a cast-off device projecting into the path ofthe thread-portion carried beyond said shoulder by the take-up member inthe setting of the stitches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' JEREMIAH V. B. PARKES. Administrator of the Estate of William NelsonParkes, Deceased.

